security tracking. “There is a plan to link M&E to security because not all meetings are booked through the same channels, and some of the data might be duplicated,” says Peters. Travel is integrated directly into procure- ment and Peters controls that. Travellers have to raise a purchase order before doing anything, so that procurement always has advance notice of any activity. In addition, all relevant data is automatically fed from Egencia to ISOS, which integrates risk management into travel policy. At engineering firm Sparrows Group, both risk management policy and meetings are aligned with the travel programme (see Risk Alignment, p54). All meeting requests are managed through the travel depart- ment, which handles contracts, rates, and terms and conditions. Where possible, meetings are held in the same hotels as are used for transient travel in order to leverage better rates. However, seamless integration does not happen overnight. “You do have to invest in it,” says Peters. “Capgemini sees ROI [return on investment] in consistent policy, and processes ensure we have a controlled and managed pro- gramme; if someone goes and does what they want, we cannot manage caps in the tools. And consistent data is great: if you use multiple agencies, you might get the Hilton London Metropole, Metropole Hilton, the Metropole, the Hilton... How can you make sense of that? We save on productivity.” While some travel managers have a
strong grip on their programmes, Judith Gledhill, director at consultancy Bouda, has observed a mixed bag of control over meet- ings policies. “There is a big focus around business continuity, the number of senior
56 BBT SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015
“Start with one element and, like a Lego train, you can take another carriage and bolt it on”
management or board members on one flight, and that does relate to M&E. But if there is a meeting in a local hotel, there is not a lot of risk attached to that and it slips under the radar,” she says. “However, buyers can look at their consolidated volumes and try to get a better 24-hour rate when they have got transient volumes going through a property.”
MAKING PROFITS Tax is an area not often considered when integrating programmes but Chris Pouney, partner at Nina & Pinta, recently helped an energy company integrate systems in order to satisfy HMRC that appropriate amounts of tax were being paid on expenses follow- ing media allegations that the company was making excessive profits. Meanwhile, Northamptonshire Police has integrated travel and fleet transport. Anyone needing to travel completes an electronic form, for anything from bicycles to accommodation and air tickets. “It gives us good savings because people are not doing their own thing,” says head of trans- port and travel, Graham Crow. The force also gets reductions from selected rail operators; and Crow has
reduced use of government-issued warrants, which give authority to the user to buy items such as a rail ticket or accommodation, because going through the travel office is likely to be cheaper. “We keep them for emergencies,” he says.
Although technology facilitates the gathering of data, good MI and the inte- gration of policies, incompatible systems can be a hindrance. “The technology used for M&E is still very different from that used in the traditional corporate world, where travellers are able to make their own bookings through online services provided by TMCs,” says BCD Travel director Tony McGetrick. “Meetings and incentives still require a phone call to a specialist company or agency, where the technology sits. The whole process is far more time-consuming and specialised.” Lanyon director Jean Squires notes that
mobility, training and moving people in groups is the least developed – therefore least well-managed and integrated – part of a business. Lanyon’s ‘smart cloud’ pro- vides total hospitality spend management, a platform where buyers and suppliers meet and transact business in an online market- place. Lanyon recently merged with Active Network’s Business Solutions Group (BSG), and brings the meetings sector knowledge of Starcite, now branded as Lanyon Meet- ings, to the mix. The effort required to integrate several
programmes can appear to be an over- whelming task. Squires recommends taking it in stages. “Start with one element and, like a Lego train, you can take another carriage and bolt it on. That way, you have a system that is scalable and you can grow it as required.”
BUYINGBUSINESSTRAVEL.COM
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